So I finished "Machete Season"
Figured since some of you won't take the time to read (but you should) I'll provide what I found to the most important takeaways —
Figured since some of you won't take the time to read (but you should) I'll provide what I found to the most important takeaways —
• It was the fastest, most efficient genocide in history. If it had gone as long as the holocaust, it would have killed 12,000,000+ people.
• Most of the perpetrators were completely ordinary people. Farmers.
• The vast majority of the killing was done with machetes. Intimate.
• Most of the perpetrators were completely ordinary people. Farmers.
• The vast majority of the killing was done with machetes. Intimate.
• Most of the victims knew their killers personally, sharing communities with them for years, friends even.
• Compared to the differences between people groups in multiracial countries, there were very few differences between the Tutsi, the victims, & the Hutu, their killers.
• Compared to the differences between people groups in multiracial countries, there were very few differences between the Tutsi, the victims, & the Hutu, their killers.
• For the hesitant Hutus, many went along simply by threat of fine for not participating & ostracization.
• However, many willingly participated because killing meant you could loot/pillage. The bellies & coffers of the killers were full, at least by African standards.
• However, many willingly participated because killing meant you could loot/pillage. The bellies & coffers of the killers were full, at least by African standards.
• Most of the killers were professing, practicing Christians (majority Catholic) & maintained after the killings. They killed on Sundays.
• Killers when interviewed only would provide genuine accounts if the actions were referred to collectively, not individually
• Killers when interviewed only would provide genuine accounts if the actions were referred to collectively, not individually
• There was a shared attitude among the killers that they could exercise the brutality they did because the whites evacuated, "turned a blind eye," as if they were arbiters of justice despite many just being religious missionaries/clergy
• Hutu women more or less endorsed the killings. Very little in terms of protest, even at the murder of women and children.
• Killers would often deflect, lie, or refuse to answer questions if the questions led toward individual responsibility in the killings...
• Killers would often deflect, lie, or refuse to answer questions if the questions led toward individual responsibility in the killings...
...any cooperative answers were normally given because it implicated the group, not the individual.
• The killers avoided referring to their actions as a genocide.
• The killers avoided referring to their actions as a genocide.
• Anti-tutsi propaganda played a large part in preparing the Hutus for their eventual actions. Tutsis historically were the aristocratic class prior to 1961, whereas Hutus were serviles. This was dissolved completely outside of wealth for many years by the time of the killings.
• Tutsis were labeled "cockroaches" , parasitic, schemers, untrustworthy, & were painted as wanting to subjugate Hutus again. Propaganda played to past grievances.
• & finally, most of the killers expressed no regret/remorse for their actions. They were mainly sorry they didn't "finish the job" & now have to pay for what they've done. They participated because they thought it would be total & there would be no chance for retribution.
I hope you learned something important from this summary.
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